Decade
by MadDelight
Summary: "Why haven't you married my dad?" After ten years of this Parker has had enough. Now, at sixteen he decides to intervene in a certain partnership between his father and Dr. Bones.
1. Why

**Disclaimer:** Bones originally belongs to Kathy Reichs, but is currently under the great care of Fox, Hart, Deschanel, and Boreanaz.

**A/N: **Parker's take on our series' favorite couple. Set ten years from season five.

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Brennan sat at the diner, staring out the window at the afternoon sun. It was an interesting turn of events that brought her to this familiar spot today. She glanced at her phone and realized she was still early. She couldn't help it; her scientist's curiosity had been peaked.

"Dr. Bones!" Parker exclaimed, taking the seat across from his father's partner. "I'm surprise you came."

Brennan smiled at the boy, well, now young man. "Of course I came. I am interested in what you have to tell me."

Parker chuckled. "Some things never change, no small talk, huh?"

Brennan wasn't surprised how much Parker was like his father. They had the same good looks, although different hair. Parker had gotten his haircut since he'd turned sixteen. He looked well groomed and his zygomatic arch was not unlike his father's. He was also well-behaved for a young man his age.

"Are you done observing me Dr. Bones?" Parker mimicked his father's grin perfectly.

She shook her head. "I was just making some mental comparisons. I apologize."

"I'm gonna order some soda, do you want a refill on your coffee?" Parker asked politely.

"I'm fine thank you." Brennan couldn't help but notice the similarity between father and son.

"So," Parker cleared his throat and sat back. "I'm here to do what Dr. Sweets never could."

"I beg your pardon?" Brennan asked.

Parker was still grinning. "You really have no idea why I'm here, do you?"

Brennan shook her head, confusion on her face.

Parker leaned back in his chair. "Why didn't you marry my dad?"

Brennan was taken aback. "It was just, never the right time."

"That's not really a good excuse." Parker shook his head. "I need a better reason than that."

"I was never ready. I didn't want to hurt him. He has such an open heart and he loves so completely." Brennan tried to explain.

Parker smiled. "I know. He's a great father."

Brennan nodded. "I always used to tell him that."

"But," Parker continued. "Not marrying you is probably the thing that has hurt him the most in life. I mean, I'm not an expert or anything, but I think you need to talk to him."

Brennan shook her head and stood to leave. "I don't know."

"He's loved you all this time, Dr. Bones. I can see the pain in his eyes. He tries to hide it, but well..." Parker sighs. "For my dad, it's always been you."

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**A/N: So, what do you think? Plausible. It's set as if Brennan and Booth never got together. Even ten years after the end of season five. But of course their still partners. **


	2. Photographs of Years Past

**Disclaimer:** Bones originally belongs to Kathy Reichs, but is currently under the great care of Fox, Hart, Deschanel, and Boreanaz.

**A/N: **This chapter is a bit Brennan-centric, but don't worry there's much more teen Parker to come in the next chap.

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Brennan returned to her apartment feeling confused and lost. Parker wouldn't have come to her unless he was genuinely concerned about his father.

In ten years it wasn't as if Booth hadn't moved on. There had been other women for him after Catherine. But none of them really seemed to stick around longer than a few months. And now, Brennan realized that Booth had been single for quite some time.

She had dated other men of course, but none really lasted after the first few weeks. At least Booth had a better track record than that. She had been off the dating circuit for a while as well.

It wasn't as if any of this affected their partnership. It was still going strong after they're near decade together. Nothing had changed in the magnetic dynamic between them. The banter was still there, the caring, the friendship, et all. Had she really been so blind all this time?

Brennan headed towards her bedroom and pulled a shoebox out of her dresser. She sat on her bed and spilled the contents of the box around her. It was filled with things from the year that she and Booth had spent apart.

A picture of her and Daisy Wick in the paper, next to an article about their miraculous find. Next, was a picture of Booth in full fatigues, joking around with a member of his Platoon. There were letters that they had sent back and forth with promises to Booth that she hadn't found anyone else. And promises from him that he wouldn't be a hero, that he would make it home in one piece. Both promises proved to be true that day they met at the reflection pond by the coffee cart.

Brennan smiled to herself as she went through the rest of the stuff. There was a picture of Hodgins and Angela taken in front of the Eiffel Tower. There was a picture of Sweets reuniting with Ms. Wick, and soon after it was taken they had gotten wed. And then... Brennan froze, the picture a sure sign of her social incompetence.

It was a photo of her and Booth when all of the Jeffersonian Team had gone out together after his return. They were staring into each other's eyes. A crooked grin on her face, and Booth's patented charm-grin on his. But what made her freeze was the look in his eyes- it was a look of pure joy, pure love, and it was directed at her as if she were the only woman in the room.

Angela must've taken the photo when neither of them had been paying attention.

Brennan dropped the picture into the box and picked up her cell phone. She hit "1" for speed dial.

"Booth? I think we should talk."

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**A/N: cheesy cliffhanger I know. more to come soon. I pinky promise.**


	3. Always You

**Disclaimer:** Bones originally belongs to Kathy Reichs, but is currently under the great care of Fox, Hart, Deschanel, and Boreanaz.

**A/N: **Sorry it took so long. The muse is evasive and just plain mean.

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"Talking" meant "meeting" and meeting meant that once again Seeley Booth would have to come face-to-face with the heavy feelings he held for his partner.

There had been times over the years; he could remember them all so clearly. Those times when he had confessed his feelings for her, or almost confessed them.

But, the year when he had wanted to try 'them', she had turned him down so quickly. And then they had separated for a year. After that, he swore to himself he would put more effort in "moving on". But she was the standard. The only one for him. And after dating a variety of women over the years he could only believe that more strongly. The fact that she is the only one for him.

Booth paced, waiting outside the Hoover building for her, by the same staircase from that fateful day.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he glanced down, hoping it was her.

_Go get 'er, dad._

He smiled, chuckling to himself. He couldn't believe that somehow Parker was behind this. But then again, even as a precocious kid his son had wanted dad and "Dr. Bones" to get together. Even if, at the time, it had just been for a pool. But since then he had still pressed the issue sometimes, wondering why his father wasn't happy.

"What's so amusing?"

There she was, striding over to him. Ever herself, still his partner, his beautiful partner.

He froze, just staring at her. "Nothing. Ah, a message. Hey, Bones." He flashed her a charm-grin.

"Hey." She came up to him and leaned against the wall, right next to him.

"So, you wanted to talk?" He rocked back on his heels.

She was nervous, but looked him directly in the eyes none-the-less. "Yes."

Brennan glanced around. "This place." Her voice choked with a mixture of emotions.

"We've passed it a buncha times since then, Bones." He said, trying to brush away those old emotions. The sadness from that night.

"Yes, well." Brennan gathered herself. "Your son asked me today why we've never gotten married."

Booth tried not to look too shocked. "Parker asked you that...?" He had known his son was up to something, but this?

Brennan nodded. "And I couldn't give him a definitive answer." She shook her head. "I've always had my reasons." Her gaze caught his, her blue eyes revealing more emotion to him than her words ever could. "Parker said something, well, he mentioned... Has it really always been me?"

Booth stepped towards her, never breaking their gaze. He paused a breath away from her. "Yes Temperance, it's always been you."

Tears welled in the corners of her light-blue eyes. And there was a pleading look from Booth, one that said 'please don't turn me down, not this time'.

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**A/N: Comments please. **


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